»second blur ep« by shalma

these four tracks by shalma- allure and enchant by evoking multilayered, in-between states of mind. “pretension” is a leisurely paced track, whose hesitant and seemingly uncertain syncopation forms a backdrop to the undulation of its own background sounds: misty theremin-like tones that condense to water, crackling percussive notes, and vocal samples culled from disparate sources that appear periodically in the stereo field and lead one’s attention to occasionally split in two. then “kohtao” uses the beats as musical pepper to the supple and richly resonant melodic line, even as the steadily increasing layers of ambiance develop in asymmetric polyphony, making for a lovely hypnagogic lullaby. “yokudo” once again plays with the foreground-is-background motif, using granularized and subtle harmonies that double as structural ornamentation to stronger, pulsating beats that march forwards and backwards at once, producing a larger, deeper space whose many contradictory impulses periodically affect the sense of momentum and create an illusory change in tempo. “formranks” is a wonderful reprise and reworking of “pretension”, this time presenting it as a more decidedly forward-looking hypnopompic hope chest, marching forward with a greater sense of inner illumination and certainty. as a whole, this is wonderful music for twilight states of mind where dreams are a welcome and refreshing undertow. - milton d